That's a twist — HBO is preparing a documentary that supposedly will finally reveal the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. It comes out on October 8, and the community is already guessing: maybe it's just a marketing stunt, or did they really find something?

But honestly, when I heard about this, one person immediately came to mind — Nick Szabo. If you've been in crypto for a while, you know his name constantly pops up in these discussions. The guy literally laid the groundwork for everything we use today.

Here's some background on the matter — so to speak. Nick Szabo first came up with the concept of smart contracts back in 1994. It sounds simple, but it was a breakthrough — he proposed embedding legal obligations into digital code. Four years later, in 1998, Szabo introduced the idea of bit gold — essentially, a prototype of digital currency. Bit gold used proof-of-work and was fully decentralized, required no intermediaries, and solved the double-spending problem. Sounds familiar? Because it exactly describes Bitcoin.

Nick Szabo himself explained his idea like this: the problem is that money depends on trust in a third party. Inflation, hyperinflation — the 20th century is full of examples where this ended badly. He wanted to create something that wouldn’t require that trust.

Then came October 2008. Exactly ten years after bit gold, Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin white paper. And here’s where it gets interesting: if you compare the ideas, they are strikingly similar. Bit gold is considered one of the main predecessors of Bitcoin.

Speculations about Satoshi’s identity are almost as old as Bitcoin itself. There have been many contenders, but in recent years, Nick Szabo has emerged as a frontrunner. On prediction markets like Polymarket, his chances are estimated in double digits, while other candidates are stuck in single digits.

Why Nick Szabo? First — it’s bit gold. The idea wasn’t implemented, but conceptually it’s remarkably close to Bitcoin. Second — his overall contribution to blockchain and crypto. The guy clearly has technical skills. Third — his writing style. Researchers have noticed that Szabo and Satoshi write surprisingly similarly. Both referenced economist Karl Menger. Both are obsessed with privacy.

And here’s something else interesting: Nick Szabo constantly denies being Satoshi. This contrasts with those who openly claim the title. History suggests — those who shout they are Satoshi are almost certainly not.

So, when this HBO documentary comes out, it will be interesting to see what’s really inside. Maybe it’s a true revelation, maybe just good marketing. In any case, Nick Szabo’s name in this story won’t disappear.